Aster Launches Testnet for Layer-1 Blockchain, Teases Full Release in Q1
Aster, the decentralized crypto exchange (DEX) and Eternal Futures platform, announced on Thursday that its Layer-1 blockchain testnet is now live for all users, and the Aster Layer-1 mainnet could be released in Q1 2026.
Several new features are planned for the Q1 launch, including fiat currency on-ramps, Aster code for developers and the rollout of the upcoming L1 mainnet, according to Aster's roadmap.
According to the roadmap, Aster will focus on infrastructure, token utility and building the ecosystem and community in 2026.
Aster was rebranded as Perpetual Futures DEX in March 2025 and is a direct competitor to Hyperliquid Perpetual Futures DEX, which operates on its own application-specific layer-1 blockchain network.
The launch of a dedicated layer-1 chain for Aster reflects the trend of Web3 projects moving to custom-built blockchains to support high transaction volumes, rather than relying on general-purpose chains like Ethereum or Solana that handle mixed traffic.
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2025 was a year where every minute was encouraged.
The success of Hyperliquid, a perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX), has helped spur interest in other perpetual DEXs like Aster.
Traditional futures contracts show an expiration date and must be manually folded, but a perpetual futures contract has no expiration date.
Instead, traders pay to keep their positions open indefinitely, allowing markets to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Perp DEX's aggregate trading volume is projected to nearly triple by 2025, rising from $4 trillion to $12 trillion by the end of the year.
By 2025, about 7.9 trillion dollars of this total transaction volume is generated, according to Defillama data.
Monthly trading volume on perpetual exchanges reached the milestone of $1 trillion in October, November and December, according to data from Defillama.
A significant increase in transaction volume by 2025 reflects growing investor demand as more global financial transactions come on-chain.
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